Te Tupua – The Goblin, written and performed by John G Davies seems biographical, a retelling of an ancestor’s story but is in fact fiction, although closely interwoven through records of people who lived these lives and threaded into Davies own story by use of his own name for the central character.

Davies talks in his programme notes about being heavily influenced by Noh theatre forms as well as European and Māori. Some of these influences are subtle, others overt or perhaps, for this viewer, just what I’m used to. Davies’ energy is high throughout, something acknowledged by more than one audience member in the Q&A session afterwards. 

He tells us the story of Scotsman James Graham, from his first memories of life aboard a ship as the ship’s monkey scaling the highest of the high rigging and being cuffed by the captain to his own shipwreck on the shores of Aotearoa and rescue/capture by a hapū who take him in as their own – with some negotiation about his place in the community – to his return to England to find a home in a circus of freaks. There’s a layer of metaphor here that I can’t quite grasp – but something about the freakishness and brutality of colonisation normalised, juxtaposed against the normalisation of brutalising freaks – as I say, I haven’t quite got my finger on it yet.

As a Pākehā finding my slow way through decolonising myself, there are moments where I feel prickly, with discomfort and with some degree of indignation about the very colonial language and perspectives. I have to tell myself to settle down a few times and I’m pleased to have stayed to listen to Davies’ kōrero afterwards, as his eloquence carries a gentle humility and confidence side by side that settles all my prickles. In some ways, this part of the performance is even more enriching than the play itself. 

Davies talks about the role of theatre in making space for conversation, for learning how to be a human, and perhaps in this time, that’s what we need most. A safe place where we can be challenged and discomfited without judgement, where we can learn and ponder and test our thinking against what we thought before. Theatre lives and theatre helps us live too.

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Te Tupua – The Goblin is a tale of early colonial interaction between Māori and a Scots sailor transplanted to early colonial Aotearoa. Davies, a self-described intercultural performer, opens with his mihi which settles the space and lays the foundation for the 90 minutes of intense and fast paced storytelling that follows.

The play itself begins with Davies encountering a taonga that opens a portal for his tupuna, the rogue Scots sailor Graham, to appear. We encounter a multitude of characters – I counted at least a dozen – that Davies swiftly and effortlessly switches between, infusing them with meticulous movements and accents, enabling each to be clearly visualised.

Davies inhabits Māori, Pākehā, Scots, male, female, warrior and wahine, of different ages, each responding to Graham and the extraordinary events of his life. Davies drawls bawdy sailor shanties, sings old country folk songs, wails plaintive waiata and performs stirring haka. It is a remarkable performance in terms of its scope, its physicality and technical accomplishment.

The story drifted a little for me in the final third when Graham leaves Aotearoa, but on reflection I think this is more because the scenes of his initial encounters with Māori and his subsequent integration into Te Ao Māori are so engaging. The finale is eerie and mesmerising, a mix of cultures that have combined to create and define The Goblin.

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BATS would be the perfect venue to see Te Tupua – The Goblin. As part of the continual upheaval of COVID, the season has been moved to digital. So I am here now drawing the curtains and settling into the darkness of my lounge. The experience that unfolds is immersive and thought-provoking.

TAHI is the annual New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance curated in Wellington. Te Tupua – The Goblin was written and is performed by John Davies who has worked in New Zealand theatre for over 50 years as a writer, actor, and director. The work’s inception was in 2000 as part of his MA. It has been performed and worked on and now appears as part of this long-running festival highlighting the best of New Zealand solo theatre.

John Davies dives into New Zealand history and his imagination to conjure up a distant ancestor, James Graham. The physical theatre required to transcend both the stage and my computer screen is undeniably powerful, as the grizzled old sailor Graham recounts his journey into Aotearoa and beyond with growing confidence.  

John Davies has been aided in creating this bilingual work by his mentor Hāre Williams and translator Piri Rewa. The use of tāonga pūoro, waiata and folk songs contribute strongly to the story. The filming and editing by Pablo Araus provides subtle touches that help move the story from the stage to my screen. Overall, the team that has worked to bring this play to us have done a fine job and I am on the edge of my seat as Te Tupua works its magic. 

There are many stories which will be told, looked from new angles and examined again as we explore our collective past in Aotearoa. For myself as a Pākehā, Te Tupua – The Goblin, is a bracing dive into our collective history and imagination which challenges me.

I’ve already encouraged friends and family to buy a ticket from BATS online. I encourage you to do the same. It won’t be up for long.

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